Google specs standards to save power - LOTS of power
Your computer uses a lot of power, much of which is wasted. Some adapters are so bad as to produce only 20% efficiency - and the good ones still lose at least 10% of your power. Consequently, Google, which has thousands of computers, proposes we go over to a 12 volt standard - not just for computers, but for pretty much everything that doesn't have a high demand (microwaves and fridges would be exempt). That would lead to economy of scale (like how you can get USB cables for under a pound in the right high street shops now) and a huge efficiency boost. How huge? Google's plan shows a savings of $5bn USD in America alone, annually. The ERPI consulting group is slightly less optimistic: Currently, EPRI said, power supplies account for more than 2 percent of the nation’s electricity consumption and that more efficient design could cut use in half, saving nearly $3 billion in electricity costs. Either way, that's a lot fewer rolling blackouts, and standardization would make converting gadgets wholesale to solar power that much easier. [GT]
Google to Push for More Electrical Efficiency in PC’s [via TreeHugger]
Related stories: Water saving gadget roundup | Alternate Energy Sources For A Flourishing Future | France shames high-emissions vehicles
